Barcelona and West Ham United are reportedly set to go head-to-head in the race to sign 26-year-old Real Sociedad attacker Adnan Januzaj.
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Adnan Januzaj could leave Real Sociedad in the January transfer window. West Ham United and Barcelona are the clubs interested in securing the services of the 26-year-old attacker this winter.
Adnan Januzaj joined Real Sociedad from Manchester United in July 2017 and has since made good progress in his career. The Belgian international has benefitted from playing regular football, which was not forthcoming after his breakout campaign at Old Trafford, meaning his development had been stalled.
However, the 26-year-old has stepped up at Real Sociedad, even though he is not the firm first-choice in their attacking unit. To date, Januzaj has made 149 appearances for La Real, amassing 20 goals and 20 assists in the process. However, the La Liga giants will likely be parting with the player soon, as he is in the final year of his contract. Such a situation has alerted Barcelona and West Ham United.
The interest from Barcelona is understandable, considering Yusuf Demir and Philippe Coutinho are likely to depart Camp Nou in either the January transfer window or next summer. And while there were concerns over the future of Ousmane Dembele, the Frenchman is expected to sign a new deal.
However, Dembele’s poor fitness record and Memphis Depay’s decline in form are forcing Barcelona to enter the market for a wide-attacker, making Januzaj a viable target. With the 26-year-old well settled in La Liga, he might not take long to become a key figure for Barcelona. On the other hand, West Ham’s need for someone like Januzaj also makes sense.
The Hammers could sell Andriy Yarmolenko soon, with the Ukrainian international a January target for Serie A club Genoa. And with Nikola Vlasic slow to assimilate in the surroundings at his London Stadium, West Ham could do with a new attacking reinforcement in the January transfer window.
To that end, the London giants and Barcelona will likely be entering into a battle for Januzaj’s services this winter, with the Blaugrana accelerating their efforts to sign him. With the 26-year-old likely to leave Real Sociedad, it remains to be seen if he joins West Ham or makes a switch across La Liga by moving to Barcelona.
